Man dies in bizarre fall at Chicago hotel

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A 23-year-old Chicago man died Thursday after falling into a smokestack at a downtown hotel.

Early Thursday morning, around 1 a.m., police say Nicholas Wiemeand his girlfriend were on the roof of the Intercontinental taking pictures. The couple had just had dinner there.

At one point he decided to climb the ladder of the smoke stack on the roof. He was taking more pictures up there when he fell down the smokestack 22 feet. Police say he didn’t die on impact, and was using his cell phone to communicate with his girlfriend while waiting to be rescued.

125 firefighters were called to the scene.

They were able to cut him out of the wall, but unfortunately there was nothing they could do. Wieme was pronounced dead just after 5 a.m. at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Friends describe Wieme as talented, loyal and funny. He was an aspiring comedian who had worked and studied at several theaters on the north side.

Wieme was well-known and respected among Chicago’s tight-knit improv community. He took classes at the popular Annoyance Theater in uptown.

Mick Napier is the founder and artistic director who worked with him.

“He would come to me and say I’ll do anything I can to be involved,” said Napier.

Paul Meyd, a former classmate said Nick was “incredibly talented. He was putting up videos . They were always inspired, poignant and funny”